Let me begin by saying I have experienced hunger. As the first person in my family to pursue and earn a post-secondary degree, there were times during that pursuit when I had no family support and little to no income. I struggled at times to get the nutrition I needed as I pursued my goals.
But it was after I obtained my bachelor’s degree in psychology and began my career in various social work capacities that I witnessed real hunger and its effect on youth. Working as a case manager for Child Protective Services for the state of Arizona, it was my duty to assess a family’s needs by reviewing their eating habits. Families receiving services would show me empty refrigerators, bare cupboards, or at best, slim pickings overall.
A colleague told me of a case where the kids would take food out of the pockets of their intoxicated caregiver and feed each other with what they could find. The oldest child was 10, and when there was any spare change in the household, he would run to McDonald’s and return home with a small bag of whatever he could afford like a bird of prey might upon returning to the nest. I personally had a case with a high schooler who told me if not for school food, he would not be eating. Further encounters with this young man led me to the discovery that the entire family was homeless and hungry. In this case, I was able to locate out-of-town relatives and help them to reunite in the countryside. While serving in another program as a behavior health technician, I had a child tell me that a positive to going to jail was knowing that you’d have something to eat each day. I helped this young man transition into a young independent program where he focused on healthy choices and healthy living. For every success, I know there are many not as fortunate who continue to struggle with life’s basic necessities.
[For more of this story, written by D.B. White, go to http://www.ahwatukee.com/opini...77-23f5aeee8dfd.html]
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